Key Takeaways
- Conor Hourihane will leave Barnsley when the 2025-26 League One season ends.
- The club sits 12th, 12 points off the play-off spots, after a frustrating campaign.
- Chief executive Jon Flatman says both sides want “a fresh start” before 2026-27.
Barnsley and head coach Conor Hourihane have agreed to part ways once the current League One schedule finishes.
The 34-year-old Irishman took interim charge in March 2025 after Darrell Clarke was dismissed, then signed a two-year deal last spring. Results have fallen short of hopes: the Tykes are mid-table and well outside the promotion chase.
“Open talks with Conor showed that a new direction suits everyone,” chief executive Jon Flatman said on Tuesday. “We will work with him to hand over smoothly before the new coach arrives.”
Hourihane first became a fans’ favourite at Oakwell as a player, scoring 31 times in 135 matches and lifting both the EFL Trophy and the League One title in 2016. He later won 36 caps for the Republic of Ireland and returned to Barnsley as player-coach in July 2024, making only two appearances before retiring.
“I thank the board for letting me start my managerial story at a place I love,” Hourihane said. “Our final five fixtures matter. We want to give the next boss the strongest possible base.”
His last match will be at home to Stockport County on 2 May. Barnsley, stuck in England’s third tier since 2022, have gone through six permanent managers since Valérien Ismaël’s exit four years ago. Accounts published last month showed a net loss of £6.5 million for the year ending June 2025.